what to do with your tactics

So I finally I had the time to finish a full game with the space marine codex against a pretty stalwart guard list with mostly massed infantry. I tried out some of the nasty units in the codex such as honor guard and the chapter master. The biggest thing though that I took away was strategy revolving around chapter tactics.

In listening to some podcasts, one of them mentioned that the marine codex is for fluffy lists. And with that your list should be built to your chapter tactics - it rewards that.

For example the ultramarines tactics is only really optimized if you brought tacticals, assault marines, and devastators. Not bringing any of those basically means you gimp 1/3 of your 'powers'.

So, in saying that I have given a lot of thought to optimizing my Black templars lists.

First I will hit the second trait Crusaders: getting adamantium will and the crusaders rule.
First, adamantium will gives a nice bonus to deny the witch to every one. This is hard to maximize army wide but in combination with the shield eternal and an allied battle brother  of higher level psyker can boost that to a healthy 2+ (or 3+ if equal or lower level - even better a rune priest.) That is a unit to give demons trouble.
Second getting crusader means you pick the highest of 2 d6 for your run and add d3 to your sweeping advance. Great rule  for our crusader squads as they pack enough guys to make a drudge across the board. This, however ironic actually works amazing on fast units. What I mean is that jump troops take the greatest movement advantage of this. With the ability to jump 12 and then run 4 (on average) means you are getting to the much needed assault sooner. Thus to optimize this we need big fast squads so larger crusaders and jump guys would best if not necessary. And as for the d3 in sweeping you need a high initiative. Since it goes by highest your mostly i4 but the cm is i5 which can help. Putting a librarian in there with biomancy warp speed easily is higher and gives fleet potentially giving you an auto wipe on some units.

The second trait gives rerolls and rending in a challenge. This is pretty good but with atsknf you can't go wrong in the challenge.
To me this looks best if you maintain a waste in all squads. Usually you want him naked or pretty close to that. This seems counter to BT method with hidden axes in blob squads but it actually can pay dividends. Giving you rending means you potentially have the ability to wound any thing in the game regardless of toughness. So charging in may lose you a sarge but the time you do rend a terminator sarge in a challenge or that wraithknight it'll be worth the ten points especially because you won't run away.
Caution, however, as a challenge is not always beneficial. One such example is challenging an ic if your squad charged him alone. That basically nullifies the rest of the squads charge attacks if he is in a dual. In this instant it may be better to stand and double tap and then get another turn of shooting from overwatch to try and eliminate him as he comes in then challenging to try and rend while taking the extra attack from him.
If you wanted that sarge better though I would give him a powermaul (or maybe lance if you are feeling risky) as that has the highest damage. Second for me is the Lt claw as it gives shred and that can make rending more possible. These though shouldn't be on tacticals or really any objective holding troops as the likelyhood of them being able to use that is small.

So there you have it a bit of food for thought went reviewing chapter tactics